Fertility boosting foods to help you conceive

Trying for a baby? Give your fertility a leg up and get your body in the best possible shape for conception with our fertility boosting foods, recommended by fertility and pregnancy expert Zita West:

Can food boost your chances of conception?

While I can’t say that certain foods improve ovulation, fertility is a whole body event and women are ruled by their moods, foods and hormones. There are certain foods that can ensure that hormone levels are kept balanced and manageable so that you feel in charge of your body, while boosting your chances of conceiving.

Blood sugar

Sugar is one of the main issues women have when it comes to foods, as they very often crave it during their reproductive years and at certain times during their monthly cycles.

The problem being, sugar can cause an imbalance in both blood sugar and hormones as the two are closely linked. As sugar is a quick-release carbohydrate, blood sugar rises quickly after consumption, followed soon by a crash – this leads to peaks and troughs in both energy levels and mood.

In order to ovulate and release an egg every month there is a complex interplay of certain hormones, and blood sugar imbalances can affect that interplay.

Antioxidants

Surrounding your ovarian follicles is a follicular fluid that contains hormones and nutrients. These nourish the egg before it leaves the ovary. However, this fluid can contain free radicals that may harm the egg. So foods that contain antioxidants are important to help neutralise the effects of free radicals.

Vitamins A, C and E are antioxidants. The minerals beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene and selenium are also antioxidants. The following foods are rich in these antioxidants:

Additionally, a natural compound called myo-inositol found in such foods as beans, brown rice, lentils, citrus fruits, nuts and seeds may help improve the follicular environment for the egg and help balance blood sugar.

☀️ There is increasing evidence that Vitamin D deficiency is linked to ovulatory problems so ensure you get out into the sun, our main source of Vitamin D, or take a supplement.

Balancing oestrogen

Oestrogen imbalance can affect the fertility of both men and women and is increasingly problematic in the modern world. Foreign oestrogens are found in our water and in our soil as a result of pesticides as well as in materials, such as plastic food and drink packaging.

Reducing your exposure to these is one way to minimise their impact and support your liver to help it detoxify them effectively.

Certain foods can help balance oestrogens

✔️ Gut-friendly bacteria: from the likes of live yoghurts, kefir and fermented foods, such as sauerkraut and miso, will help your gut draw nutrients from your food and expel anything your body doesn’t need.

✔️ Reduce the amount of saturated fat you eat: as a diet too high in this type of fat can limit the amount of oestrogen your body excretes.

✔️ Phyto-oestrogens: found in some plants such as alfalfa, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and broccoli, fennel, nuts, oats, olive oil, onion, pulses and beans. These bind to the body’s oestrogen receptors, preventing foreign oestrogens from attaching.

✔️ Vitamin B6: found in foods such as avocados, bananas, cabbage, eggs, lentils and wheatgerm may reduce your susceptibility to the stimulating effects of oestrogens, helping to maintain balance.

Foods to avoid for fertility

There are certain foods that are worth avoiding when trying to conceive:

➡️ Low-fat foods

Low-fat foods in particular can cause issues. Many women switch to low fat foods thinking that they will not gain weight, however, for fertility and weight management the principle is flawed. There is some startling evidence for how low-fat products can hamper conception. In one study in the US, women who ate two or more low-fat dairy products a day were twice as likely to have problems conceiving.

Ovulation rates were 38 per cent better among women who used full fat milk rather than low-fat milk. Skimmed milk, for instance, can contain an unnatural preponderance of androgens (male hormones).

➡️ Certain carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates found in beans, pulses, vegetables and whole grains are slowly broken down into glucose, which the body uses as fuel – and are steadily released into the bloodstream keeping blood sugar levels stable.

However, simple carbohydrates that are high in refined sugars or artificial sweeteners release sugar into the bloodstream too quickly, causing insulin imbalance, energy and mood swings. Try to cut down on fizzy drinks, sweets, cakes and processed fruit juices.

Nutrient-dense foods both nourish and satisfy you, so keep processed foods to a minimum.

➡️ Processed foods

The quality of your food is paramount. Nutrient-dense foods both nourish and satisfy you, so keep processed foods to a minimum – eat foods as close to source as possible. That way you are maximising the amount and variety of vitamins and minerals you are getting from each meal.

➡️ Lifestyle balance

Lifestyle factors, such as being overweight and underweight, stress, alcohol intake and cigarette or drug use rob the body of vital nutrients needed for fertility so managing your weight, reducing your stress levels, limiting alcohol intake and cutting out smoking and drug use are important lifestyle decisions to make when you wish to improve your chances of conceiving.

Replenishing depleted nutrients due to lifestyle factors is also important, ideally through taking in a wide range of vitamins, minerals and essential fats, eg omega 3, through your diet. If this is not possible or you want to ensure that your intake is sufficient in both quantity and breadth of nutrients, then supplements can help.